


Two Interludes: "The Ties that Bind" and "Orphans"

by jamelia116, Voyager_Virtual Season_7-5_Staff_Writers (jamelia116)



Series: Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 [46]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, F/M, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamelia116/pseuds/jamelia116, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamelia116/pseuds/Voyager_Virtual%20Season_7-5_Staff_Writers
Summary: Two "short subjects" by jamelia which move our characters forward in time to the end of the 24th century:"The Ties That Bind":Lieutenant Naomi Wildman's starship theFederation Accorddocks at Deep Space Nine after a successful mission to the Gamma Quadrant. Lieutenant Commander Icheb Paris is waiting to meet it. He has something to ask her."Orphans":Lieutenant Commander Naomi Wildman visits the family of former shipmate Marla Gilmore to request their presence--and Marla's--at a very special occasion, one that may well serve as the final reunion of the originalVoyager's
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway, Icheb/Naomi Wildman, Marla Gilmore/Harry Kim, Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Series: Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1385569
Comments: 12
Kudos: 14





	1. The Ties that Bind, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> As always, we must thank Gene Roddenberry and the production people who have made the Star Trek franchise such a large part of our lives. Paramount/CBS/Viacom may own the rights, but their creations have stimulated the imaginations of many. While we don't own them and don't even pretend to, we do enjoy playing with them from time to time. Thank you!
> 
> This work had to be reposted because of a glitch in AO3's parts numbering system, which seems to have been fixed. The kudos we received from The_Elephant_in_the_Pride_Parade, kmccaffree, Penny_P, and Rocky_T as well as 3 guests were erased as a result. Thank you all for reading and enjoying this episode!

**Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 - Episode 46a** **  
** **  
** **The Ties that Bind**

**  
by jamelia**

  
  
**_Deep Space Nine--May 17, 2395, Stardate 71373.1_**   
  
The Wormhole bloomed into being. Petals of light swirled open, much like the flowers his mother always grew in her garden in San Francisco. Morning Glories, that's what they're called. Some were white and some "as blue as your brother's eyes," Mom always said. That was an exaggeration, but his brother's eyes, unlike his own, were very blue. The Wormhole flowering before his eyes glistened with all the colors of the visible spectrum, glowing brightly against a star-spattered backdrop of deepest black.  
  
As he kept watch, a miniscule ship disgorged itself from the throat of the illusory flower, sailing into normal space. Seconds later, the petals of energy collapsed upon themselves, swallowing up what the Bajorans knew as the Celestial Temple into apparent nothingness. It was still there, of course, hidden, ageless, mysterious, despite all that had been learned about the aliens who dwelt there. Amongst them was the Emissary, who at one time commanded this station as Captain Benjamin Sisko.  
  
Lieutenant Commander Icheb Paris leaned against a handrail on the upper level of Deep Space Nine, contemplating his existence. He smiled as he recalled the phrase. Seven of Nine, his first foster parent, had used the term frequently. Born Annika Hansen, a name she had reassumed after moving permanently to New Pojza with her spouse Axum, Seven had spent much of the time while regenerating in her Borg cubicle, after she first arrived on _Voyager,_ "contemplating her existence." Eventually, the lessons learned through this mental exercise helped her find her way back to becoming an individual _._ Icheb had never been connected with the Borg as completely as Seven had been, yet he found that contemplation of one's existence was a worthwhile exercise nonetheless.   
  
Seven had been his mentor, and, eventually, more his big sister than a parent. Before he had been formally adopted by Admiral and Mrs. Paris, Captain Kathryn Janeway mothered Icheb the way she did all of her crew on _Voyager_ , especially Seven. Kathryn Janeway and her husband Chakotay now had a son of their own. Unsurprisingly, their son was an extremely intelligent youth, pleasant, but with a quirky sense of humor. Eddie, as he was known to his friends, had not yet begun his youthful rebellion to any major degree, but Icheb thought it likely it would come fairly soon. A beloved only son would need to pass through such a stage to become his own man. His parents were too wise not to understand this and would deal with it well, once the time came.  
  
On his last mission to the Delta Quadrant, Icheb had finally been able to visit with the family on New Earth in person instead of only through Faster Than Light video transmissions. His former captain, who currently was in her first term as the President of the United States of New Earth, had been just as warmly welcoming to Icheb as she had been when she had rescued him from the Borg. Former Commander Chakotay now was white-haired, but he was as energetic and as involved as ever with the University of New Earth, the institution of higher learning he had helped found. He seemed more relaxed and open than he had been when Icheb first knew him. His wife had teased Chakotay, saying it was because he was "captain of his own ship now" as chancellor of the university. Perhaps that accounted for his demeanor. Or it might simply be that Chakotay, who told Icheb he used to think of himself as an Angry Warrior, had at last learned to feel comfortable in his own skin.   
  
Icheb sighed. He wondered if he would ever achieve anything close to self-acceptance. If he never did, the fault could never be laid at the feet of his adoptive parents. Admiral and Mrs. Owen Paris had lavished love and praise upon him ever since his adoption. When he arrived from the Delta Quadrant, the only Brunali known to live in the Alpha Quadrant to this day, Icheb met his mom Alicia for the first time on this very station. He smiled at the memory. He was sure she loved him, from the very first, as much as she loved her natural son and daughters. Icheb's siblings' families had grown, giving Alicia and Owen Paris seven grandchildren. He knew his mom would welcome more, if Icheb was ever in a position to provide her with any.   
  
That was why was here today. He'd come to Deep Space Nine to find out if such a blessing might be in his future.   
  
He noticed the ship he'd been watching, so tiny in appearance when it first exited the Wormhole, had grown markedly in size. It was a Federation ship of the line, one of the largest. The _U.S.S. Federation Accord_ was Paramount Class, like the new flagship, the _Enterprise NCC-1701F_. The ship would dock in less than thirty minutes, if Icheb had calculated the distances and speed correctly. He almost always did.   
  
Time to walk down to the lower levels to await the docking of the _Federation Accord_. It might be a while before he could meet with the person he wished to see. He could not be sure Shore Leave would be granted to her immediately. Perhaps ordering a snack at the Klingon restaurant, the _Qapla'_ , would be a better use of his time than loitering on the Promenade, hanging around for the girl he'd been waiting for, as it seemed, for most of his life.  
  
*  
  
Lieutenant Naomi Wildman was annoyed. She was forced to remain on board the _FedAccord_ (as all of her shipmates called it) instead of going off with the first group of officers scheduled for Shore Leave, as she had anticipated.  
  
Two of her subordinates had failed to complete their weekly Scientific Research Reports on time. Ensign Bextan had "sort of" an excuse. He'd landed in Sickbay because he failed to complete a thorough tricorder reading before performing a "taste test" on flower buds collected from Severis V. From the initial scan, he thought they were "just like Talaxian pepper pods." They were _almost_ like them, except they were laced with just enough caparacin, masked by the capsaicin, to make the Talaxian thoroughly sick from eating them raw. Cooking would have destroyed the toxic substance, but Bextan, a little like her beloved "Uncle" Neelix, sometimes leaped before he looked. She'd given him an extra day to finish his report, since she'd insisted he include a well-researched digest documenting the reasons why one never ever performed a "taste test" on an unknown ingredient until completing a detailed analysis, down to the molecular level, of which species might find the substance indigestible or dangerous to consume.   
  
This report, because of the assigned addendum, would not have been held against her, and she could have left with the others. Ensign Crol Th'fevran, however, had no such excuse. The Andorian had become so involved in a Parisses Squares match, she had forgotten she hadn't turned in her report. It finally appeared on Naomi's terminal an hour after it was due, exactly thirty minutes after the first group of officers left the ship for leave.  
  
Naomi contacted Icheb as soon as she realized she would be unable to meet him for at least another twelve hours. She'd suggested he could visit her on the _FedAccord_ , since she was off-duty, if not free to "go ashore." Icheb had declined her invitation. He said he would go to his lodgings to take a nap. They could meet at Quark's at 1945 hours.  
  
As her thoughts turned to Icheb, Naomi's mood mellowed. She hadn't seen her old friend for almost four years. Icheb had looked so handsome standing up as Best Man for Griff Harley at his wedding to Valentina Novotnova. Icheb had danced several slow dances that night with Naomi. They'd gotten on so well together, she'd thought that maybe this time, what they'd once felt for one another would be rekindled.   
  
It was not to be. Two days later, Icheb was summoned to his father's office at the Admiralty and presented with a promotion. Lieutenant Commander Icheb Paris's career was now on the fast track, as his new orders proved. He was assigned to accompany Captain Geordi La Forge to an area of the Delta Quadrant that was still virtually unexplored. Because it had been held by the Borg, Icheb, as one who had once had ties to the Collective, was considered an ideal choice to serve as Astrometrics Chief and Second Officer on this mission.   
  
Naomi had been terrified for his safety the entire time Icheb was gone, despite the fact that the Fluidians had placed more than a dozen of their people on board the task force's flagship, the _U.S.S. Concordia_ , "wearing" what they called their Ocampa "garb." They may have looked like Ocampa, but their purplish skin let others identify the species to which they truly belonged. Having completed several exploratory missions in the region, the Fluidians were confident the Borg no longer presented a major threat to the explorers. Unfortunately, they'd failed to detect several pockets of ships filled with drones who were trying to resurrect the Collective and reestablish dominion over the region. More than half a dozen serious battles took place before it was secured for the United Federation (Alpha, Beta, and Delta Quadrant branches).   
  
Icheb had served with distinction, receiving several commendations for bravery. Thankfully, unlike many given out after that mission, his commendations had not been bestowed posthumously. Captain La Forge, likewise, was showered with honors upon the expedition's return and was offered a promotion to admiral. Emulating his mentor Jean-Luc Picard, he declined the honor and stated he preferred to remain a captain.  
  
Icheb was now back in the Alpha Quadrant, as was Naomi, a mature, almost twenty-three year old woman, a well-respected Starfleet officer with much to look forward to in her profession, but she longed to resume her personal life, too. Her youngest sister Carolynna had still been a toddler when Naomi left eighteen months ago for her mission to the Gamma Quadrant on the _FedAccord_. Naomi wanted to get to know her, as well as reestablish her friendship with Ruthannika, who had been accepted for entrance to Starfleet Academy later this year. And, of course, speaking with her parents via FTL transmission could not take the place of being in their presence, to speak with them face to face, or to hug and be hugged by them.   
  
And there was one more thing missing from her personal resume. She wanted a husband, badly, and Naomi hoped he was waiting for her on Deep Space Nine at this very moment. Taking a nap.  
  
She wished she could be taking one alongside him right now.  
  
*  
  
At 1940 hours, Lieutenant Wildman approached the entrance to Quark's establishment on the Promenade. Since she was no wet-behind-the-ears Academy graduate, she laughingly waved away the proprietor at his saucer-eyed approach. The subject of her search was sitting at the bar, next to Morn (who for all intents and purposes lived in Quark's). As Icheb stood up and gave her a warm, enthusiastic hug, she heard Quark's sad sigh of resignation as he muttered, "Why do they always go for the tall, dark, and handsome Starfleet types? What do they have that I don't have?"  
  
Naomi turned back and answered, "History, Mr. Quark. Sorry, but I've known this guy for _ages_. It's time to catch up."  
  
*  
  



	2. The Ties that Bind, Part 2

*  
  
They had drinks at Quark's but went to dinner at Jake's, the restaurant owned by Jake Sisko. He wasn't in residence, but Jake's grandfather in New Orleans had trained the chef. The food was Cajun, as authentic a dinner as one at the original Sisko's would have been. Icheb had lots of questions about the _FedAccord's_ mission, since the Gamma Quadrant was where he'd spent the least amount of time during his career. Naomi was happy to answer them all, since the mission had been one preferred by Starfleet officers: investigating a relatively unexplored region. Thanks to transwarp drive, they were able to travel in a straight line, deeper into the quadrant than any other mission had to date.  
  
When she asked similar questions of Icheb, he was a little more circumspect. "There's a lot that's still classified, so I can't say much. We've established that the Borg are still fragmented. They've never been able to reestablish their centralized system under one Queen, although they've tried."   
  
"Is that because of your...weapon?"  
  
"It appears so, although there are other factors operating. The Fluidians have been very active in the area in which we were traveling, so--I think it's okay to tell you this--the Borg drones that survive are separated from each other by Borg-free corridors. Like the ones _Voyager_ found around the time Annika first came on board the ship, when you were still a baby. The Fluidians will never trust the Borg. Since their technology is biologically-based, the whole idea of a mechanized, singular organism seeking 'perfection' is anathema to them. The Fluidians want us to know they trust us, with all of our multiple species' imperfections. They claim it's natural for 'biologicals' originating on different planets to be like that, now that they've studied the differing species in our space. That whole 'perfection' thing of the Borg is just unattainable. Anyone who insists it _is_ possible is either insane or can't be trusted, they say. Exploring that part of the Delta Quadrant was really important for all of us, but I think the real purpose of our mission was to cement the Fluidian-Federation Alliance. "  
  
"There have been some doubters in the Admiralty, so I've heard."  
  
"I've heard that, too, but since our mission, the doubters seem to be in the minority now. Every one of the Fluidians I met is a great person. Three of their officers on our ship were killed in one attack, you know. They received their share of posthumous commendations for valor, too."  
  
Naomi nodded her head and tried to smile, but the enormity of all of those losses finally got to her. Tears filled her eyes. She choked out, "Icheb, I was so afraid for you!" Naomi thought she had whispered it, but several other diners looked in their direction.   
  
Icheb grabbed her hand and squeezed it to comfort her. "I'm here now, Naomi. I came through okay. Not even a scratch," he said, revealing his shy smile.  
  
"I'm so glad. I've missed you so much, Icheb."  
  
He looked into her eyes, her expression open and unguarded. Icheb saw something there he had not seen for many years. He was almost afraid to hope it meant what he wanted so desperately for it to mean. He answered, "I've missed you, too, Naomi."  
  
*  
  
After dinner they wandered back to Quark's, but instead of lingering in the bar and gambling area, they strolled into Vic's. Since the holographic crooner was between sets, he came to greet them as they walked through his door.  
  
"I know I've seen the two of you before, but it's been a real long time. Going up the ladder in Starfleet, I see, Lieutenant Commander and Lieutenant. Let me see, you, my lovely lady, are Lieutenant Wildman, unless I miss my guess. Ah, I thought so. And I think you are Commander Paris? How's your brother and his gorgeous wife doing? And that looker of a little girl they had? I'll bet she's already breaking some hearts."  
  
"How can anyone stay down in the dumps at Vic's?" asked Naomi, as Icheb swept her onto the dance floor for a very old-fashioned waltz.   
  
"They're fools if they do," Icheb replied softly into her ear, as he guided her slowly around the dance floor. His voice was warm and comforting. He smelled heavenly, of exotic sweet woods and herbs. Naomi sighed contentedly as they swayed together, happy to be in Icheb's arms once again. It had been four years since Griff's wedding, but the time they had been apart melted away. He held her just the way she loved to be held, not too tightly, but firmly, and with power. Since the last time she'd seen him, Icheb's shoulders had filled out more. She guessed he'd been lifting weights. He was now quite muscular, similar in body type to his birth father Leucon, she deduced, from the holoimages of Icheb's natural father she'd viewed in the Starfleet database.   
  
Naomi never met Icheb's natural parents when they came aboard _Voyager_ to claim their son. She hadn't spent any time on the Brunali planet when Seven and Captain Janeway delivered Icheb to them, either. At the time, Naomi had yet to develop feelings for Icheb, but she still remembered how sad everyone on _Voyager_ had been when he left the ship. Icheb did not speak often of his Brunali parents after _Voyager_ rescued him from the Borg's clutches a second time, after his parents sent him to be assimilated again. Icheb, the biological weapon who was supposed to destroy the Borg, finally did accomplish that, but not by becoming a drone himself.   
  
Naomi had never thought very much about what the Brunali were like (other than horrible parents who must hate their offspring, if Icheb's were any example). Now she wondered about them. If what she longed for did happen between the two of them, what sort of father would Icheb be if they had children? Icheb's brother Tom was a great father to Miral and her younger brother Johnny, but from some of the stories Naomi had heard about his behavior towards Tom, Admiral Paris had been somewhat wanting in that department at times. Naomi knew Tom and Icheb's mother well, since she had "unofficially adopted" Naomi during her Starfleet Academy years while her own parents were posted in the Gamma Quadrant. Alicia Paris was the only one of Icheb's parents, in Naomi's opinion, who had shown him unconditional love.  
  
These thoughts were disturbing, but Naomi reminded herself they were certainly premature. Since becoming adults, they'd never advanced beyond the "good friends" stage. Why should she be thinking about what kind of parent Icheb would make when she didn't know if he would ever want to marry her? That thought made Naomi smile, prompting Icheb to say, "A penny for your thoughts?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing important," she replied guiltily, thinking it was a good thing the Brunali were not a telepathic race. "I'm enjoying being here with you. It's been way too long."  
  
"It has been too long," he murmured, as he lay his chin against her cheek again.  
  
When the music ended, the young couple went to an out-of-the-way table in a dark corner of the club. Icheb ordered a pitcher of Sangria. Since it wasn't syntheholic but made from real wine, Naomi became a little intoxicated just from eating the wine-soaked citrus fruit. As they sipped their drinks, Naomi and Icheb reminisced about events that had happened during their final months on _Voyager_. The Olympics. Crash landing on New Hope, and camping out under the stars. Miral's birth on the _Delta Flyer_ during a mission. Ferengi and Romulans joining forces, trying to steal the ship as soon as it returned to the Alpha Quadrant.  
  
"Coming here to Deep Space Nine, and having to wait until Starfleet was ready for us to come back to Earth," Naomi said. Her giddiness abruptly fled when she remembered some events happening then had been anything but happy.  
  
"Yes, I met my mom here in person for the first time," Icheb agreed at first, but he swallowed and said solemnly, "but do you remember the memorial service for everyone who died on _Voyager, Equinox,_ and the Maquis ship?"  
  
"And on the way to Earth we stopped at that planet, where Lieutenant Ayala's first wife died." Naomi added, with a catch in her voice.  
  
Icheb put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "He's happy now in the Delta Quadrant, with Narel and all their children. I saw them when we stopped at New Earth."  
  
"Luis is in the Delta Quadrant Confederation Security Force, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, he's followed in his dad's footsteps. It was great to see them all. Captain Janeway, Chakotay, and Eddie, too. He looks so much like his father. Just no tattoo."  
  
"Yet. I'll bet he'll have one someday."  
  
"He probably will," Icheb smiled at her. When she turned her head to look into his eyes, their lips were barely an inch apart. She couldn't help herself. She gave him a very gentle kiss.  
  
Naomi hadn't anticipated the power of that simple graze of the lips. His other arm came around her back and wrapped her up in an embrace that felt like one of desperation. Their kiss deepened, and she responded to him with a passion she had never felt before. No other lover had ever made her as breathless as this, from a simple kiss.  
  
The band was playing one of those old songs Vic liked to sing. As they broke apart from the kiss, but not from their embrace, she recognized it: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." She gazed deep into Icheb's eyes, windows into his soul, while Vic sang about moon and stars, and dark and empty skies. That song was hundreds of years old, but wasn't it absolutely perfect, considering they'd met on a starship sailing through space?   
  
The next verse would be about the first time the lovers kissed, Naomi recalled. She'd kissed Icheb before, years ago. Most had been relatively gentle, chaste pecks on the cheek and lips. She really had been such a child, even though she hadn't been willing to accept that then. This was the first time she could say she had "really" kissed Icheb. The intensity was as frightening as it was exhilarating. Naomi had never thought Icheb's feelings for her were as deep as hers for him. As she gazed into Icheb's eyes, she saw her own want and need reflected back to her. She should not have doubted.  
  
They'd met among the stars and nebula of the Delta Quadrant. Both had been children: he, a boy scarred by parental abandonment and abuse from biomechanical beings who'd robbed him of his innocence; she, precocious, but very much a child, who only thought she was all grown up because her half-Ktarian body had grown at an accelerated rate. They had been too young to really know what love and life were about. Yet that "crush" everyone said they'd felt, the one they would "grow out of eventually," well, at best, that had been wishful thinking by her parents.  
  
Those outside their pairing saw it as the childish attraction of a boy and a girl who were the only ones of their age group living in the enclosed world of a starship. It had only been "puppy love," as the lyrics went to another song Vic sang, but Naomi had never thought her feelings for Icheb were as inconsequential as her parents insisted they were. She now believed "puppy love" sometimes could _be_ real love.   
  
From Naomi's studies of the Ktarian life-bond, she knew that once it was fixed, the bond truly was for life. She may have been little more than a child at the time, but Naomi _had_ bonded to this man who held her in his arms. And from the look of adoration reflecting out of his eyes, she had no doubt at all that the bond between them went both ways. She remembered his jealousy at the Academy when she dated his classmate Griff Harley, and her own when he had been seeing the Deltan girl Mialla. Their crush had never gone away; over the years it had evolved. No one else could replace Icheb Paris in Naomi Wildman's heart. It was a wondrous, momentous realization.  
  
She became aware of applause from those sitting near her, and seconds later, Vic approached their table, smiling broadly. He bent over and whispered gently, so only they could hear, "Kids, you know what? I think you two really need to get a room."  
  
*  
  



	3. The Ties that Bind, Part 3

*  
  
At first, when she awoke, she was confused. She was not in her quarters on the _FedAccord._ She wasn't in the sort of lodgings she typically took whenever she was on Shore Leave. Instead, the ceiling above her was lofty. A soft light bloomed across its surface, emanating from the floor to ceiling windows that formed one wall.  
  
Her mind cleared, and she remembered. Naomi Wildman was lying stark naked in a bed in a holosuite at Quark's. The last verse of that song Vic had been singing still resounded in her head. She had felt Icheb's heart beat close to hers. She had thought her joy would fill the entire Delta Quadrant, let alone the Earth!  
  
It had finally happened. It had been rapturous, everything she had hoped it would be. She had never felt anything even close to this way with anyone else. Naomi's whole being throbbed with the memory of all they had done, not to, but for, each other. The entire night had been a gift, or even more, like they had unwrapped one wonderful present after another for each other. Naomi stretched her body languorously and rolled over onto her side.  
  
The bed next to her was empty. After a second of panic, she saw him, sitting on a sofa at the other side of the room, next to the windows.  
  
Icheb wore no more clothing than she did. In a few places, a silvery implant was embedded in his skin, matching the one residing on the side of his nose near his left eye. Until this night she had been totally unaware of the existence of several of them. Naomi smiled indulgently. Reminders of Icheb's brief life as a Borg drone would live on for the rest of his life, but each had had their own part to play in what they had experienced. Not all Borg implants were antithetical to explorations of individuality--or sensation.  
  
Naomi started to look for something to put on, but then she remembered. Those weren't real windows; they were holodeck projections. No one could look in on them. Her state of undress would be invisible to anyone but Icheb. After what they had just been to one another, she couldn't imagine he'd mind. As she rose from the bed, the rustling sound drew his attention towards her. His smile was gentle and, she was rather certain, very satisfied.  
  
"You can sleep in longer if you want to. It's not five yet. You don't have to get back until 0700, right?"  
  
"No, but I don't want to waste my Shore Leave time, either," she said, sauntering over to the sofa. He opened his arms for her. She sat in his lap, leaning her head against his shoulder, and sighed contentedly.  
  
"What are you watching out of this artificial window?"  
  
"It's programmed to display views of scenic areas on Bajor. There were other planets I could choose from, but these fit my mood this morning."  
  
"You want to tour Bajor on this trip, I take it?"  
  
"Not especially. But while we're here in the system, I thought I'd like to see a little of it." His smile was a little suggestive, reminding Naomi of his brother Tom's glances towards his wife B'Elanna--when they didn't realize Naomi was watching them.  
  
They cuddled for a while, content to watch the programmed scenery change every three minutes. Each scene was portrayed as it would look at dawn, but as each new view came up, the morning light level increased. Eventually Naomi felt it was getting to be a little too much. She raised her head and looked at Icheb, to ask if they could adjust the brightness. When she saw his face, she could not speak. The expression on his face was not what she had expected to see this morning. He looked sad, almost stricken.  
  
"Icheb, are you all right? You don't have any regrets about our loving each other last night, do you?" Naomi felt a chill come over her. She could not believe Icheb would let her down right after getting her into bed, but stranger things had occurred. She'd heard enough stories from her ship mates to know such things happened.  
  
He met her eyes, smiling wistfully. "Of course not. This has been a dream come true for me. I want it to go on forever. I just...I saw one scene of Bajor that reminded me of a view of the Brunali world. I couldn't help but think of my parents for a moment."  
  
"Your birth parents?"  
  
"Yes." He looked over her head, looking far into the distance, to a scene she knew was visible only in his mind. "I talked to him, you know. My Brunali father. When we were in the Delta Quadrant. On the way home."  
  
"Oh, Icheb! It must have been painful."  
  
"At first it was. He'd heard from someone that a Federation fleet was coming from Borg territory. He'd contacted the _Gibraltar_ first and asked them whether there was anything to fear from the Borg coming through the transwarp conduit near his planet. After the officer on the _Gibraltar_ told him most of that particular conduit had collapsed, and the Borg were no longer a threat to anyone, Leucon asked if they had any word about me. He knew about _Voyager's_ taking me away. They told him I was with the task force. He asked if he could speak with me. The _Gibraltar's_ Ops Officer patched his comm link to the _Concordia_."  
  
"What did he say to you? What _COULD_ he say to you after all this time?"  
  
"The first thing he said was he was sorry."  
  
"Of course. Easy for him to say now."  
  
"After talking with him for a while, I decided he was sincere." Icheb kissed her on the forehead, on either side of her row of vestigial horns. Sighing, he added, "I wanted to talk to the Brunali anyway when I realized our route would take us near their planet. I had questions. There are things _Voyager_ never asked when my parents claimed me. There didn't seem to be any point. Captain Janeway thought I was staying with them."  
  
Naomi was about to ask him what he wanted to know, but something told her that silence, at this juncture, would be best. She moved her head so she could look fully into his face and eyes. As she expected, he continued softly, "I wanted to know about love and family life. And I asked him about me. Why was I born? Was it only to be a weapon against the Borg? "  
  
She groaned, "Oh, Icheb, why? It's over. They let you go!"  
  
"Naomi, I knew, when I got back, that I would seek you out. I had to know about what they did, was it typical? Or was what they did to me a special case? I never want to hurt you, and I had to know if sometime, somehow, something like this might come up to blight what we have."  
  
She put her fingers to his lips. "Never. I know you would never do anything like that. For one thing, your Mom Paris would kill you first!"  
  
He chuckled sadly then. "Oh, yeah, she would. She would never let her grandkids be harmed in any way, not if she could help it. No, you won't have to worry, Naomi. It isn't the normal thing for Brunali families to do anything like what my parents did to me. They love their kids just as much as any parents do. It was my mother who didn't want any children. Any more children. You see, I had an older sister. The Borg killed her in one of their raids, and Yifay said she could never go through that pain again."  
  
"So she gave birth to you? Icheb, that makes no sense."  
  
"Leucon said it did to her, because I was never really 'her' child. To her, I was a vessel for a weapon. She was simply the biological 'builder.' I was constructed by the two of them, but with the added DNA, the virus engineered into my genes, designed to destroy the Borg. She birthed me, but Leucon...he didn't say so in so many words, but I think he's the one who actually raised me. I don't have many memories of my childhood. I guess they tampered with them, hoping the Borg wouldn't find out where I came from after I was assimilated--in case their plan of destruction didn't work. The few things I do recall are about Leucon and me. I have no old memories of being with her, only of that last time, just before they sent me to the Borg again..."  
  
He stopped, as if he needed to catch his breath. He kissed Naomi again on the forehead before continuing in a monotone voice, "Leucon said he begged Yifay not to send me to the Borg the second time. When I miraculously returned to them, he wanted to keep me with them. It was Yifay's decision. She insisted. The only reason she had been part of creating me was to destroy them. She said he had to go through with it. He admitted he helped her get me into the second space ship, but he hated himself for doing it. He told me he will regret doing it, and losing me, for the rest of his life. I believe him. He was happy to hear I escaped again, Naomi. He said he was glad I had a family who'd given me what I deserved, because he had failed me when I needed him most."  
  
Icheb's voice had trailed off into a whisper by the end. Naomi sat up and wrapped her arms around him, kissing away a couple of stray tears that escaped from beneath his eyelids. Her heart ached in sympathy. How could they have done this? Why did this Leucon tell Icheb the whole story? Maybe Icheb did ask, but did he have to answer him so crudely?  
  
Then, to be fair, she had to admit it had never made sense to her how those people could do this to Icheb, certainly not for the second time after they'd gotten him back. If it had bothered her, how must Icheb have felt? She held him in her arms. Despite the terrible pain, she was glad he had opened up to her in this way, acknowledging this profound loss. Leucon had given Icheb the unvarnished truth, one apparently as painful to the father as it was to his son. Icheb had been brought to life for only one purpose: to bring death to the Borg. Would lying be kinder, when only the truth actually made sense? No, she realized, it wouldn't.  
  
Naomi wiped away her own tears from her face. Icheb was smiling at her, even though his eyes were still a little blurry. "I must look terrible," Naomi said.  
  
"You've never looked more beautiful. Naomi, sharing pain and bad times is what bond mates do, just as much as sharing joy, good luck, and wonderful times."  
  
"Bond mates. Is that what we are?"  
  
"Yes, Naomi. We are bond mates. We can do a big marriage ceremony for our moms, on Ktaria or on Earth, wherever you want. But our marriage has already started. It began years ago, when we first loved each other. Naomi, from what your dad told me once, Ktarians don't so much choose their life bond mate as they recognize him or her. And I found out, from talking with Leucon, that that's the way it is with the Brunali, too."  
  
"Are you saying we never had 'crushes' on each other at all? That we were really kind of married, even when we were so young?"  
  
"Well, in a way, yeah, I guess I am saying that. From the Brunali point of view we were. It seems to be like the Vulcan tradition. Many Vulcans are bonded to each other by their parents when they're very young. They don't live together until their first _pon farr_ arrives, when they are sexually mature. T'Pel was nice enough to tell me about it when I asked her, after the _Concordia_ returned to the Alpha Quadrant. The Vulcans on my ship didn't want to discuss it, and Tuvok wouldn't, either, when I went to see him. I don't know if Vulcan women are more open about it, or if T'Pel simply realized how important it was for me to understand it, after what I'd learned about the Brunali. It's a little different, because there's no telepathy involved. It just happens on its own, somehow, like it did with the two of us. Even when I told you we were too young to bond forever and that we should go our own way, Naomi, I knew I truly loved you. You were too young for a life commitment then, and it was my place to protect you from yourself--even though it just about killed me to do it."  
  
"Icheb, I think, young as I was, I really did make a commitment--or my heart did for me. I've never had a successful relationship with anyone else. I tried. I pretended, even, but it just never felt right. Tonight was the first time..." She suddenly sat up as erect as she could while still balancing on his lap. "Does this mean, with all those boyfriends and girlfriends we've both had, we've been adulterers for all of these years?"  
  
Icheb laughed. "Well, it wasn't deliberate! We didn't know how this bond thing works, Naomi. If you can forgive me, I can certainly forgive you." More seriously he went on, stroking her cheek gently with his forefinger. "I think we had to try to be with others, to know in our own minds how badly we needed each other. And maybe even more, to ease the minds of your parents and mine--I'm talking about my Mom and Dad Paris, naturally--that this truly is right for both of us, even if, in a way, our choice was made so many years ago."  
  
"So this is why your Brunali father Leucon went along with what his wife wanted? I'm sorry, Icheb, but I'll never be able to call her your mother after this."  
  
"Yes, I guess it is why," he sighed. "I feel sorry for them both, but mostly for him. They're still bonded, he told me. He said he still loves her, but he doesn't know if she's capable of love anymore. Something died within her when they lost my older sister. And after what they did with me, he can't be with her. They don't live together now. Haven't for years. He left her, shortly after they loaded me onto that space ship to be sent to the Borg the second time. He says he still feels the tie, but they can't talk about important things. His trust in her is gone, and he doesn't believe it will ever come back. It's very sad. He's lonely. There will never be anyone else for him. I understand how he feels. I felt that way for the past several years, when I thought I had lost you."  
  
They embraced again, comforting each other. Truthfully, both had feared losing the other many times over the years. Icheb kissed her on the cheek and the shoulder, before his hands began to move over her body in ways that were not so much comforting as, frankly, erotic.  
  
Naomi looked out the window. The vista was of a clear mountain range bathed in the light of full day. "We can't, Icheb. It's getting late, and I have to get back to the _FedAccord_. I wonder, do you have an itinerary? I mean, were you planning to do any sightseeing on Bajor during this trip? Or are you waiting to be picked up here for some sort of assignment?"  
  
"No, the only thing on my agenda was to meet up with you. I never thought about afterwards. I didn't even want to think about what I'd do if you didn't want me. I have two more weeks of leave due before I have to report back to San Francisco to get my next assignment. Why?"  
  
"We're headed back to Earth. Maybe we can ask Captain Lavelle if you could hitch a ride there with us. We've got some empty guest suites. There might even be room in my quarters. On my couch, maybe. Or other places. As long as you're willing to slum it. I _am_ only a lieutenant, you know. My quarters are nothing like a highly decorated lieutenant commander's."  
  
"Let me think," Icheb said, pretending to disguise his blossoming grin by rubbing his chin with his hand. "I think I can save the scenic wonders of Bajor for my next trip. Slumming it in a lieutenant's quarters sounds like a very nice way to spend my leave time."  
  
Naomi laughed out loud. "Let's pack up and get over there. I'll bet Jenny and Sam will have you over for a captain's dinner, to pump you about the Borg if nothing else."  
  
Icheb stared at her and said, the shock evident in his voice, "You mean Jenny Delaney? She's back with Sam again?"  
  
"She's our first officer. Yep, they're back together again, for the third time. Or is it the fourth? I can't keep track. They seem to really love each other, but no one is willing to bet how they'll finally end up. Their careers keep getting in the way of true love."  
  
"We'll have to be aware of that."  
  
"Icheb, my parents have worked it out. So have Tom and B'Elanna. We will, too."  
  
He kissed her gently, almost like he did when they were young, and asked, "So, when does your next duty shift begin?"  
  
"I'm on Beta shift today, at 1600 hours."  
  
His smile spread widely across his face, and Naomi couldn't help thinking about how much he resembled his brother Tom smiling at his B'Elanna--never mind their differing genetics. "Plenty of time for recreation beforehand, then?"  
  
"Yes, Commander. Plenty of time," she answered playfully.  
  
"Well, we don't want to keep your captain waiting."  
  
She leaned back into his arms. They weren't in _that_ much of a hurry. They could take the time to share another kiss, one filled with the promise of a lifetime of laughter and hope. Undoubtedly there would be some tears along the way, but as long as they were together, Naomi was certain, there would also be love.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our thanks to the Trek Core website for providing the screen cap of Icheb and Naomi as they looked in "Shattered." In that episode, the Naomi and Icheb that Kathryn and Chakotay encountered during their travels around their ship, which had been "shattered" into different temporal segments, were 17 years older than they were in the seventh year of _Voyager's_ journey through the Delta Quadrant. And that's just about the same time as "The Ties that Bind" and the last three stories of our series takes place. (http://voy.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/7x11/shattered166.jpg)


	4. Orphans, Part 1

**Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 - Episode 46b** **  
** **  
** **Orphans**

**  
by jamelia**

**  
_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** **_San Francisco, Earth--May 8, 2396, Stardate 72349.2_ **

  
"Mom, there's a Starfleet officer coming up our sidewalk."  
  
Kaylyn Richardson's mind froze in fear. Rick was Out There on his training cruise. Her mind raced at hyper-light speed, conjuring up a myriad of things that could have gone wrong to call for this visit. She tried to keep her voice steady as she called out to her daughter, "One officer, or two, Marlena?"  
  
"I only see one. A woman. She's got reddish-blonde hair. She's pretty."  
  
Only one. If it was bad news, there should be two coming to call. Still, a mother always worries about her son when he might be in danger, and his current assignment had been known to be perilous at times.   
  
The bell rang seconds later. Kaylyn took a deep breath to steady herself as her eleven year-old daughter opened the door to the visitor.   
  
"Hello there," the young officer said with a smile. "Is this where the Richardson family lives?"  
  
"Yeah," Marlena drawled.  
  
"Then I think this is the house I want. May I come in?" The young officer had flicked her eyes up momentarily to see Kaylyn standing in back of her daughter before turning all of her attention back to Marlena. "Tell your mother that Lieutenant Commander Naomi Wildman is calling."  
  
"Commander Wildman? From _Voyager_?" Marlena gazed raptly at the young officer as she stepped aside to permit her entrance to the Richardson home.  
  
"The very one," Naomi confirmed with a chuckle. "And I'm guessing you're Marlena? I don't know if you remember me. You were just a toddler the last time I made it to one of the picnics." Kaylyn stepped forward then, her hand outstretched to the mother. "Mrs. Richardson, it's been a long time since the last Voyager Family Association picnic. I read about it in the newsletter, when I was on assignment in the Beta Quadrant."  
  
"It has been a long time, Commander. It's so good to see you again." Kaylyn was annoyed with herself as she heard her voice wobble over the simple greeting. This didn't seem to be one of Those Calls after all, but until she knew why this visitor had come, she couldn't be truly at ease.  
  
The young officer's brow wrinkled with concern. "Are you all right, Mrs. Richardson? You seem a little shaky."  
  
"Sorry. I don't get many visitors from Starfleet anymore unless it has to do with my son Rick. He's on a cruise this week. Advanced Tactical Training. He couldn't tell me much about it, so I can't help but be worried until he's back in contact." Kaylyn drew her daughter closer to her side. She really had to control herself in front of her daughter. Kaylyn knew it wasn't fair to her daughter to obsess so much about Rick. Marlena was still young enough not to realize just how dangerous her big brother's line of work could be. Still, memories of how she'd felt when she thought her own sister Marla had been lost forever always haunted Kaylyn.   
  
"Ah, I see. Well, I just came from Starfleet Headquarters, and I heard the class was already heading home from a successful mission. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."  
  
"That's wonderful news, Commander. And where are my manners? Come in. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee? I was about to make myself an afternoon snack. Marlena, get out those cookies you baked from scratch all by yourself yesterday. I'm sure Commander Wildman would love to taste an old fashioned treat . . ."  
  
Mindlessly chattering as she led her visitor to the dining area, Kaylyn rushed around her kitchen, getting out plates for the cookies and cups for the coffee she replicated in a flash. Their guest good-naturedly helped Marlena set the table, all the while answering the girl's eager questions about her life in Starfleet. As the three sat at the table with their refreshments and chatted, Kaylyn gradually became aware that her daughter, for the first time, was asking the same kinds of questions that Rick did when he was the same age, when he started thinking about living a life in the stars. She didn't know whether to be happy her daughter was thinking about the future or petrified that she might have to go through all of the worry again with Marlena, just as she had with her sister Marla and now with her son Rick.  
  
At last there was a pause in Marlena's eager questioning of their guest. Kaylyn seized the opportunity and said, "I don't think Commander Wildman came here on a recruiting mission, Marlena."  
  
"No, not at all," she replied. "Although they were very excellent questions, Marlena. But we go way back! Please call me Naomi. Both of you!"  
  
"Okay, Naomi," Marlena said, giggling in delight at being given permission to call a grown-up who wasn't even a relative by her first name.   
  
"So, may I ask why you've come?" Kaylyn persisted.  
  
"I have something to give you. Perhaps you've heard that I'm getting married..."  
  
"I think the entire quadrant has heard about that," Kaylyn laughed. "Probably all four quadrants, in fact!"  
  
Naomi rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess you're right. You'd think the news media would have more important things to obsess over than a simple wedding between old shipmates."  
  
They all laughed at that. The youthful lovebirds from the famous--or infamous, depending upon your point of view--starship _Voyager_ were Big News everywhere. "I get _so_ tired of being followed all the time. I had to transport from Headquarters to the corner of your street to lose the posse that follows me everywhere. And I might have been able to walk here. It's not really that far, and I could have used the exercise, considering I've eaten at least four of your delicious cookies, Marlena. So far!"  
  
Marlena blushed with pleasure at the compliment. "You can have another, if you want. I can always make more for Rick when he comes home."  
  
"I'd better pass. I want to fit into my wedding gown!"  
  
"Oh, I wish I could see you in that. I'll bet it's really pretty," Marlena said, a dreamy look coming into her eyes.  
  
"Actually, that's the reason I'm here. I wanted to hand deliver these to your family." Naomi picked up the portfolio she had carried with her, opened it, and handed a large white envelope to Marlena. "It's an invitation to our wedding. We want to turn it into a reunion of the _Voyager_ crew, too. We know everyone won't be able to come, of course, but we want as many there as possible. The Voyager Family Association officers, too. The way things are going, it may well be the last time we'll have a chance to get everyone together. It's not easy getting people from New Earth, New Pojzan, or the Gamma Quadrant here. We're going to try, though."   
  
"Oh, Mom, can we go? Please?" Marlena was breathless. To go to any wedding was a treat. She'd only been to two in her life, and they both involved cousins. To go to this wedding, of all weddings! The newsvids were all calling it the "wedding of the century." ( _Of course_ , Kaylyn thought, _they always say that until the next big event came alo_ ng.)  
  
"We'll see, dear. I'll have to talk to your father. It depends on where it is! It's not on Ktaria, is it?"  
  
"Oh, no, it's right here, in Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains. It's a great venue. We'll be able to put up everyone who attends in this big hotel. It's right there on the grounds. We can keep the party going even after the reception is over! I hope you can come."  
  
"The _Equinox_ people, too?" Kaylyn asked, a little too sweetly, to avoid coming off too tartly.  
  
"Absolutely. Assuming we can get hold of them. And that's why I came to deliver your invitation instead of transmitting it to you. I want your help contacting your sister." Naomi slipped a second envelope out of her portfolio, with the name "Marla Gilmore" written in beautifully flowing calligraphy. "There's a data chip inside the envelope, so you can transmit it to your sister. I don't have a way to get this to her except through you or Noah. I don't have an address for her. I know you've both been keeping in touch with Marla. I couldn't get quite enough leave time to go to Luna to give this to Noah. And I really did want to see you again. It's been too long."  
  
Kaylyn swallowed audibly as she accepted the envelope from Naomi. She gently stroked the envelope inscribed with her sister's name. It had been so very long since she'd seen Marla.  
  
Kaylyn was drawn out of her sudden reverie by the soft touch of her daughter's hand on her forearm. "Do you think she'll come, Mom?"  
  
"I don't know. I hope so."  
  
After a brief moment of silence that threatened to become uncomfortable, Naomi filled the space by saying, "Marlena, have you ever met your Aunt Marla?"  
  
"No. I was born after she left."   
  
Naomi silently surveyed the girl's facial features. Kaylyn knew, Marlena resembled Marla: her light blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair complexion accentuated their connection. "You look a lot like your aunt, you know," Naomi finally said.  
  
"Rick says that, too. It's hard for me to see. When we get a transmission from her, it's all snowy. I can never see her very well."  
  
Naomi nodded knowingly. "That's what happens when a transmission is bounced too many times when it's sent from one location to another."  
  
Kaylyn shrugged her shoulders resignedly at her daughter's confirmation that the Richardson family had indeed been in contact with Marla over the years, despite their many denials to anyone who asked. "I'll contact her, Naomi, but I don't know. She's always worried about what people will say to her about her _Equinox_ days. And her work is very demanding. She's devoted to the children in her care. Four months' notice is plenty of time for someone in this system or somewhere close by to arrange to come to a wedding, but she's really far out now."  
  
"I understand, I really do, but Icheb and I want to see her again so much. Tell her not to worry about any sort of pressure from anyone. Icheb's father, Admiral Paris, is going to make sure she'll be protected from the media. You can tell her Noah is coming with his family. It looks like Angelo Tessoni and Tal Celes are coming with their brood, too, with the New Earth contingent. Mr. Ayala and his family are planning to come, too. Captain--I guess I should say President Janeway and Chakotay are coming, too, with their son Edward. It may be the last time they come to this side of the galaxy, she says, so it's a really big deal for all of us to get together. And everyone wants to know that Marla really is okay. After all of this time, she doesn't have to worry about Harry Kim being upset with her. He's moved on. Icheb says they both need the closure, and he should know. He saw his father on his way back from his last assignment. His father answered a lot of questions Icheb had about his people and his family and eased his mind about getting married. Our wedding would be the perfect opportunity for that to happen between Harry and Marla."  
  
"What about Jim Morrow and Brian Sofin?"  
  
"Jim's not sure he can get away. He's very high up in the Delta Quadrant Federation Security forces, you know. And Brian...do _you_ know how to contact him?"  
  
"No. I have no idea where he is."  
  
Naomi sighed. "No one else has any idea, either. We all hope he's simply gone way, way out and changed his name. All trace of him has disappeared."  
  
Kaylyn nodded at Naomi soberly. The thought that Brian was long dead always intruded whenever his name came up in a conversation. Even in this day and age, people who wanted to disappear could, and could stay out of touch forever, if that's what they really wanted.   
  
"Well, I'll try to convince Marla to come, Naomi, for my daughter's sake, even more than for you and Icheb. Marlena needs to meet her. We chose her name to honor my sister."  
  
Naomi stretched out her left hand to Kaylyn, and her right to Marlena. "Thank you both. For the cookies, the coffee, and most of all, for the good company. I really hope Marla comes to meet her namesake."  
  
Kaylyn looked at her daughter. Hero worship shone out of Marlena's eyes as she gazed upon the young Starfleet commander. Pride and terror warred within the mother as she realized that, once again, Starfleet would snare one of her nearest and dearest.  
  
  



	5. Orphans, Part 2

  
  
**_Aubernois Children's Center --May 31, 2396, Stardate 72411.4_**  
  
At times, night shift on the teenager's ward at the Aubernois Children's Center could be as wild and crazy as the day or evening shifts. That was rare, however. Many of the youngsters had to undergo rigorous therapies all day. The staff always tried to schedule lots of social activities during evening shift to provide as normal a life for the orphaned residents as they could. By the last two time segments of the center's thirty-hour day, most of the kids were so tuckered out from all of their activities, they slept deeply and long, making for a quiet shift for the staff.  
  
Tonight, all was tranquil. Felania Meian had turned fourteen today. For a Zarconian, that's a very special birthday, marking "Almost Adult" status. The staff had thrown a big party for her. While not yet a full adult legally, according to her culture, Felania now was considered capable of making certain decisions for herself, such as whether or not to continue her treatments or go to a long term care facility for the rest of her life.  
  
Marla Gilmore knew Felania would stay, even though the treatments she faced were challenging, to say the least. She still hoped for a "forever family," and it wasn't out of the question. Felania could walk on her own again now, and after several procedures to rebuild her damaged brain, her seizures were under good control. Once her genetic re-sequencing regime was finished, her eyesight should again be normal. Felania could be one of their success stories. Marla hoped for that happy ending. She was a good kid.  
  
After reviewing the monitors for the ten children in her charge and seeing deep sleep patterns on all of them, Marla leaned back in her chair. She'd do an in-person check in twenty _marsa_ units or so, but for now, she could take a break from her record keeping and spend a little time "wool gathering."  
  
The only perceptible noise on the ward was the almost inaudible background humming of environmental and life support equipment. After her many years on starships and care wards, Marla was always aware of such subliminal sounds. The murmuring of the life-giving equipment had been a constant in her life; she needed to hear it, always. Total silence was the anomaly.  
  
Marla sighed in contentment. This was one of the most peaceful jobs she'd ever had, and perhaps the most rewarding. No screaming aliens attacking; no desperate dashes to repair equipment that had been patched so many times, it was a miracle it worked at all. No guilt over stealing equipment _Voyager's_ crew needed for their own survival because Captain Ransom and Max had ordered her to take it. No worries that the Borg, the Vaadwaur, the Hirogen, or any of the other bad actors of the Delta Quadrant were going to take over her ship and do unspeakable things to her and her shipmates.  
  
And no fears over what Starfleet would do to the " _Equinox_ _Five_ " once they got home. That shoe had dropped long ago, and she had survived, albeit barely.  
  
She had long since accepted that she'd taken that job at the quarantine hospital to punish herself. In her own eyes, the sentence Starfleet meted out wasn't enough to make up for her sins. In retrospect, changing professions and taking that grueling job was probably the best thing she could have done, even though she had no idea it would turn out to be her saving grace, the one thing she needed to do to regain her peace of mind.  
  
From Noah Lessing's updates on her fellow crew members, Marla knew changes in professions had been good for almost all of them. Jim Morrow had chosen a very self-destructive path, almost paying for it with his life. Once he'd found a safe haven on Vidiia, where the people had to accept their culpability towards their own neighbors, Jim's life had stabilized in his new role as a security department administrator. Noah's floral shop and Angelo Tessoni's construction business were also doing very well. Their ignoble discharges from Starfleet were not generally known, any more than hers was. But, according to Noah, even after a thorough search, there was no trace of Brian Sofin since he'd flown off Earth. It was as if he had fallen into a black hole. Perhaps, in a way, he had, but one of the soul. Or maybe a real one. No one apparently knew.  
  
Serving as a caregiver at the quarantine hospital had provided Marla with the means to pull herself out of her own personal black hole. At first she was simply an aide, taking care of the patients' most personal needs. After her first year, however, a training program had been offered that provided her with a degree in nursing. It had been hard, working all day and then studying all evening, but keeping busy kept herself from obsessing about her situation. That was important to her then. Eventually, she received the equivalent of Earth's Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and once again was a member of a respected profession. Even in her weaker moments, pride in her accomplishment never completely went away, and she was able to right herself emotionally--until the next time despair assailed her.  
  
Eventually, even that passed. She seldom flagellated herself anymore over her failings, even though she had plenty of time to think when she worked a night shift. With all of the automated equipment and communicators to call for assistance whenever needed, Marla was usually alone when she worked at night on the ward. Marla now actually preferred to work night shifts, when given the choice.  
  
It was funny, but Marla had never even noticed until long after it was a _fait accompli_ that her emotional state during the overnight hours had evolved from experiencing constant terror, in anticipation of an imminent attack, to feeling it was her favorite time of day. The transformation took place while she was still working at the quarantine hospital. It had been such difficult work, caring for individuals of all ages sickened by an engineered plague. Their suffering had been acute, the projected life span of the victims brutally truncated. She'd been recruited because humans were not susceptible to the infection, and caregivers at the height of the plague were in very short supply.  
  
The condition had been incurable when she first arrived at the hospital. No one had really expected one would be found. About five years ago, however, a researcher had discovered a successful treatment quite by accident. For far too many it had been too little, too late. Sadly, barely a fifth of the plague's victims were still alive to receive the cure, and the treatment had its own dangers for those who chose to receive it. Only two thirds survived the attempt. Once this was known, some of those eligible to receive it declined the honor of treatment. By this point, however, attrition from all causes had taken its toll. Marla was one of those at the hospital whose "services were no longer required," and she was "downsized" out of her position.  
  
Marla quickly discovered that one thing you never have to worry about is finding people who need medical care. She moved further out into the Gamma Quadrant and found work in this facility, which provides specialized care to disabled orphaned children. Once restored to at least a semblance of normal functioning, it was hoped they would eventually be adopted by families. Thanks to wars, there never seemed to be a shortage of severely disabled orphans.  
  
Most of the children had always been residents of the Gamma Quadrant, but a few, such as Felania, came from the Alpha Quadrant, and a few originated from the Beta Quadrant. Felania had required genetic re-sequencing if she was ever to become an independently functioning adult. Why this treatment was still not legally obtainable in the Federation when it was the only viable treatment for someone like Felania remained a mystery to Marla. It was not her place to question Federation policies, though. Not anymore. She doubted she would ever return to Earth. It was no longer her home.  
  
After deciding to sacrifice having a family of her own years ago, Marla had never looked back. Her maternal instincts were strong, however, and mothering these multiply bereft youngsters while they lived in the center satisfied her need to care for others. She seldom took the time to consider how she felt about this life she'd carved out for herself. Whenever anyone asked her if she was happy, Marla preferred to use one of her former shipmate Seven of Nine's favorite responses: "Happiness is irrelevant." As far as Marla was concerned, maintaining a sense of self-respect was far more important.  
  
Marla halted her night-time ruminations when her computer terminal beeped its discreet "message arrived" signal. After quickly reviewing the ten monitors of her patients to see that all were still fast asleep, Marla opened her message program. She smiled with pleasure when she saw the name of the sender, and even more warmly when the faces of her sister and her niece Marlena appeared on the screen.

>   
> _"Aunt Marla! Hi! This is Marlena. And my Mom."  
> _  
>  The image of her sister laughed. _"I'm sure she can see who it is, Marlena. Hi from me, too! Jack isn't here right now, and Rick isn't back yet from a training mission, but we didn't want to wait for them to contact you. We've got an invitation to pass on, and we know you'll need to make plans right away if you want to take us up on it."_  
>   
>  _"It's a wedding invitation! And you'll never guess who the bride and groom are! Naomi came today to invite all of us, and she says I can call her Naomi and not Commander Wildman!"  
> _  
>  Kaylyn added, _"And if you come for the wedding, you can be here for Rick's graduation from the Advanced Tactical Training program. It's right around the same time, Marla. Please come! It's been too long. We'd all love to see you."_  
>   
>  _"I want to meet you, Aunt Marla! In person! Please come!"_

  
Even through the static in the images, Marla could see the tears rolling down her sister's face, matching the ones streaking down her own cheeks. To go home again. You can't go home again, as the saying goes, and that's probably true. "Time marches on," that old cliché. But could she afford a visit, at least? After all this time?  
  
Once the visual message from Kaylyn and Marlena was finished, Marla opened the attachment showing the wedding invitation. Tasteful, and very beautiful. "So, Icheb and Naomi are finally getting married! That's wonderful," Marla whispered to herself, as she wiped the tears from her face. She remembered the fuss over how young Naomi was when the two became so close on _Voyager_. Naomi wanted to become engaged then, she recalled, and was very put out when Icheb decided they were rushing things and needed to "cool it." Naomi must be in her twenties by now, not a little girl in anyone's eyes any more, even if she wasn't half Ktarian. And Icheb must be quite the distinguished man now. Could he be thirty? She realized she couldn't remember exactly how old Icheb was. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever known his exact biological age. Icheb's childhood assimilation by the Borg had tended to muddle factoids like that.  
  
Well, one thing was for sure. They weren't rushing things now. Somehow, it felt right to Marla they were finally going to be together. Some unions were meant to be, just as some were not.  
  
Going to a wedding. How long had it been since she'd attended such an event? One of the doctors at the quarantine hospital invited her to his wedding, she remembered, but that was at least nine years ago. Marla noted the message had taken over a week to get to her, according to the timestamp. She would have to make her plans quickly if she did wish to go. It was to be in Colorado, at what Marla seemed to remember was a very swanky place. Celebrities had their big events there, if it was the one she thought it was. Icheb was an admiral's son, of course. No doubt the Paris family could afford to help Naomi's parents pay for a big wedding. According to the invitation, accommodations for the entire weekend were to be provided for the guests. It was going to be a very fancy wedding indeed! It _was_ a very tempting offer.  
  
Marla hadn't gone back home to see her sister and her family since she'd fled Earth so many years ago, once her general discharge shattered any chance she had of making a life in Starfleet or a life with Harry Kim. Yes, Kaylyn had assured her that Admiral Paris was going to make sure there would be no harassment from anyone while Marla attended the wedding, but if she was going to travel all that way home, she wasn't going to stay for just one weekend. She'd also be staying with her sister, maybe visiting with their cousins and other family. Those reporter types might not get to her at the wedding, but what about before and after? Could she bring herself to go to Starfleet Headquarters to attend her nephew's graduation? She didn't want to taint him with her own disgrace, any more than she had been willing to blight Harry's career.  
  
And what about Harry? They had corresponded that one time, so many years ago, but since then, nothing--by her own choice, she must admit. What would his reaction be to her if they were actually in the same room again?  
  
No. It would be better if she didn't go.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name of the Gamma Quadrant children's center was chosen to honor Rene Auberjonois, the wonderful actor who portrayed the Gamma Quadrant native Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as so many other memorable characters, who passed away while we were preparing this episode for publication. We will miss you, Rene.


	6. Orphans, Part 3

  
Until she heard footsteps hesitantly approaching the nursing station, Marla hadn't realized she'd begun to weep again. She looked up to see Felania, dragging her hand along the wall of the corridor, orienting herself in the total darkness created when she'd lost her eyes.  
  
"Miss Marla, are you all right?" she whispered. "I heard crying."  
  
"Oh, yes, Felania. I'm fine."  
  
"You don't sound fine."  
  
Marla resisted the urge to get up to guide Felania to the second chair in the nursing station. The girl treasured her newly-obtained Almost Adult status and wanted to act as independently as possible. Instead, Marla lightly scratched the surface of the chair so Felania could hear where she had to go to find a seat.   
  
Once Felania was safely ensconced in the chair, Marla glanced at the bank of monitors again. The other nine still showed deep sleep patterns. Marla could spare a little time to speak with her young visitor. She didn't have to worry about confidentiality issues with Felania. This patient couldn't see any of the medical information on the monitor screens.  
  
"I was just going to check to see how all of you were, Felania. The monitors showed you were sound asleep a few minutes ago."  
  
"Oh, I'm doing okay. It's exciting being an Almost Adult."  
  
"You can't vote yet though."  
  
Felania giggled at that. "No, not yet. Not for six years. By then, I should be able to see those politicians talking and judge for myself whether they're telling the truth or not!"  
  
Marla chuckled softly at that. "You certainly will. You'll be able to see long before then."  
  
"I don't need to be able to see to know something is bothering you, Miss Marla."  
  
 _This is one smart cookie_ , Marla thought, but she said, "Oh, it's just that I've received an invitation to a wedding, back home in the Alpha Quadrant. I don't think I can go, so it was making me a little sad."  
  
"Why can't you go? Don't you have lots of vacation time coming to you? Everyone says you're _always_ here!"  
  
"That's not the problem, really. I think I do have enough time, even for such a long trip." _And my superiors would be delighted if I'd take some, because I'll lose several more carryover days this year if I don't take any again,_ Marla silently added to herself.  
  
"Is it...too expensive?" Felania asked very carefully.   
  
Marla appreciated Felania's sensitivity. She knew the girl had been told many times it wasn't polite to talk about finances with others, but Felania had always been curious about the subject. Sadly, finances would be something Felania would always have to worry about if she never was adopted--or even if she was, if the family did not have the resources to pay for the sort of medical follow-up care Felania was likely to need for the rest of her life.   
  
Marla tried to make light of the issue. "No, I can afford a trip like this. I just can't bring myself to leave all of you here while I go gallivanting around the galaxy!"   
  
"We'd survive without you for a few weeks, Miss Marla. And when you came back, you'd have lots of stories to tell us about your trip. About the wedding, too. Who's getting married?"  
  
"I used to serve on a starship, and the bride and groom were my shipmates. They were very young when we were on the same ship, but even then, they were fond of each other. And now they're getting married. It will be a very big wedding. You might even hear of it here, even though it's taking place so far away. They're both famous Starfleet officers."  
  
"Oh, Miss Marla, you should go! Maybe we could see you in the newsvids, if it's that kind of wedding. Well, I'll be able to see you after my procedures are done, anyway."  
  
"If I get my face in the newsvids, you mean!" Marla smiled at the image, and then frowned. That's not something she'd like to have happen, not at all. She could just imagine the commentator's catty remarks when Marla's face appeared on the screen!  
  
Felania, oblivious to Marla's worried frown, continued, "And is this wedding taking place on the planet you're from? Will you be able to visit with your family while you're there?"  
  
Breaking away with some difficulty from her preoccupation with unwanted newsvid attention, Marla slowly answered, "Yes. My sister and her family are invited to this wedding, too."  
  
"Then it's decided. You _HAVE_ to go, Miss Marla. To see your family again. It would be so nice to have a family to visit. All of mine was killed off when the Dvinyans attacked our colony." The girl sighed. "I hope I'll have a family again someday, after I get my eyes back."  
  
Marla bit her lip to keep herself from crying again. Felania said this in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice, but Marla knew the loss of her family often overwhelmed the girl with sorrow. This was not the first time Felania had awakened during the small hours of the night and visited Marla at the nursing station. Most of the time their conversations were much grimmer than this one was. But Marla only said, "I'm sure, as soon as your treatments are completed, the Social Services Department will find a 'forever family' for you. Count on it."  
  
Felania reached out and touched the sleeve of Marla's uniform. Marla covered the girl's green six-fingered hand with her own flesh-toned five-fingered one. The two shared a moment of quiet reflection, accompanied by the hum of life-support equipment and the sound of the intake and outflow of gentle breathing.  
  
Finally, Marla advised, "You'd better get back to bed, Felania. I have to do my rounds. I should have finished them fifteen _marsa_ units ago! My supervisor will want to know why I did them so late!"  
  
"You can say I came to visit you because I needed to talk about becoming an Almost Adult today! I won't mind. I know you have to worry about keeping our heads on straight and not just our medical status! I've heard Dr. Soveny say that lots of times to the staff when they think I'm not listening, but my hearing is very, very good!"  
  
Marla couldn't help laughing. It was a direct quote from Dr. Soveny's ponderous lectures to staff, old and new. "Thank you. I may take you up on that offer! Now, it's time for bed. Shall we walk together to your room?"  
  
The girl stood up and adjusted her hand so that it was tucked into Marla's arm just above the elbow, giving Marla permission to be Felania's guide. The two walked back to the girl's room. Once Felania had climbed back into bed, Marla could not resist lifting the blanket over her and tucking her in. "Sweet dreams, Felania," Marla whispered, rubbing the top of the girl's head lightly, the way a Zarconian parent would her child.  
  
Felania smiled and murmured "Mummym" softly. It was the word for "mother" in Zarconian. Marla had looked it up once. It wasn't the first time Felania had used the term around Marla. She didn't know if the girl used it around anyone else. Perhaps it was just a night shift sort of thing.  
  
When Marla left Felania's bedside, she quickly moved from room to room to survey the status of all of her other charges. Her conversation with Felania had not disturbed any of the other sleepers. The equipment recording their life signs disclosed no problems; no one was due any medications or physical life sign checks before the day shift began. With any luck at all, it would continue to be quiet until the staff arrived in the morning for the transition from night to day shift.   
  
Once she'd checked on everyone, Marla passed by Felania's room again. The Zarconian girl had fallen back to sleep.   
  
Returning to her seat in front of the monitors, Marla sighed. Orphans. Every one of her charges on the ward at present was an orphan.  
  
So, in a way, was Marla, but she was orphaned by her own actions, not fate, as was the case with the youngsters in her care. It had been such a long time since she'd seen her family. Transmissions and messages were all well and good, but they couldn't replace a hug, a kiss, or a nightlong chat session between sisters. She'd never even met her own namesake in person, and that was troubling. Marlena wasn't so little any more. She deserved better from her aunt, her mother's only sister.   
  
Marla had made her choice about forgoing marriage with Harry or anyone else in full awareness of what that decision would mean. She knew she would live by that choice for the rest of her life. But was it really necessary to stay away from her own loved ones forever? Must she totally deny herself a family life to pay for what she'd done so many years ago in the Delta Quadrant? Hadn't she paid for her sins enough?  
  
If no one came forward to adopt Felania, would it be so terrible for a human from Earth to adopt a Zarconian? She had a hunch the Social Services Department wouldn't mind all that much. It wouldn't hurt to ask, anyway. She knew her supervisor had adopted one of the younger children who was of a different planetary ancestry. Felania, an "Almost Adult," might be even more difficult to place in a "forever family."  
  
Marla would think about that when the time came. Felania faced many procedures before her eyes were regrown and her brain damage was fully healed. It would be months before that sort of decision would need to be made.   
  
In the meantime, there was a wedding coming up, and just maybe it was time for Marla Gilmore to find enough courage to face the crew that had adopted her so many years ago. She'd slipped away from them all, like a thief in the night. Perhaps that had been appropriate, considering her own disreputable actions when she first met the crew of _Voyager_ as one of the four remaining officers of _Equinox_ , but eventually she _had_ earned their respect. She owed it to them, and maybe to herself, to see them one more time, even if all she had to say to them was "Good-bye. Have a nice life."  
  
After another quick glance at the monitors and seeing that all was still well with her charges, Marla checked the vacation schedule posted in the computer. There didn't seem to be a conflict with anyone else's that couldn't be covered easily with available staff. She could put in a formal request in the morning, once her shift was over.   
  
Opening up her message program to send a text-only transmission, which would take much less time to get to her sister than the visual one she'd just received, Marla wrote:   
  
"Kaylyn, I received your message today, the one with the wedding invitation attachment. Of course I'm going to have to check on travel connections to see if it's possible, but since I've got a lot of vacation time due (which my boss has been nagging me to take), maybe I _CAN_ find a way to come..."  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> **Up Next: Our Two-Part Grand Finale!**
> 
> (And no, you haven't previously read these; they've never been published before.)
> 
>  **Part One: "Stopping by the Shire on a Starry Evening," by jamelia and Penny:** The ship carrying Kathryn Janeway, her husband Chakotay, and their son Edward Kolopak to Naomi and Icheb's wedding on Earth passes near The Shire to pick up several additional wedding guests. While a short visit with people they helped in "Ethical Considerations" is very rewarding, an encounter with members of another species they met during the original _Voyager's_ journey home is a bit more problematic.
> 
>  **Part Two: "To the Marriage of True Minds..." by jamelia, Penny, Rocky, Christina, and the Voyager Virtual Season 7.5 Staff:** The wedding guests are gathering on Earth for the spectacular wedding of the "childhood sweethearts of _Voyager."_ It's a bittersweet occasion for many, since this wedding promises to be the last time so many of _Voyager's_ former crew, now scattered throughout the galaxy, will be able to enjoy each other's company in a gathering such as this.


End file.
